Cutting attachment



Jan. 27, 19.25- 1,524,388.

' R. L. CAMPBELL cu-TTINe-wn'r-Acnmm Original Filed Dec. 22, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR a? r w CM ZZMW M n ITORNE Y Patented Jan. 27, 1925@ PATENT OFFICE.

ROY L. CAMPBELL, OF EAST CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

CUTTING- ATTACHMENT.

Application filed December 22, 1922, Serial No. 608,415. Renew d J ly 23, 1924,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roy L. CAMPBELL, a. citizen of the United States, and resident of East Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to circular ribbing machines, and more particularly to cutting attachments for use in cutting tubular fabrics produced by such machines.

The invention has for its main object the provision of an automatic mechanism for cutting at desired times tubular fabric of the type used in stockings.

Another object relates to the provision of means for cutting predetermined lengths of circular ribbed fabric after the emergence of the fabric from the knitting machine in which it is made.

Another object relates to the provision of guiding means arranged to guide the fabric to and through the cutting attachment so as to make a straight out perpendicular to the axis of the tubular fabric.

Still another object relates to the provision of adjustable means whereby the relation of the cutting member with the fabric may be varied to knit different diameters and sizes of tubular fabric.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will. be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the attachment showing the fabric passing through the guide and between the cutting members;

Figure 2 is a side view;

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the cut ting mechanism; and

Figure 4 is a side view of a modified form of theinvention. v Referring to the drawings, in which there is shown one form of the invention selected for the purpose of illustration, the attach: ment is applied to a circular ribbing ma chine 10 ofconventional type, having a pattern wheel 11 which is arranged to produce a fabric 12 of desired type. The pattern wheel 11 is mounted on a rotatable drive shaft 13 of the knitting machine. In the present instance the fabric is of the type used in stockings and the like. The fabric 12 after emerging from the knitting machine passes to the cutting attachment.

For operatively interconnecting the knitting machine and the cutting machine so as to operate the cutting attachment at desired times, there is provided a. cam 20 secured to the drive shaft 13 and arranged to be ro tated thereby. It is understood that a predetermined length of fabric emerges from the knitting machine during each revolution of the shaft 13. In intimate contact with the peripheral face of the cam 20 is the free end of a pawl 21 keyed to a trunnion 22. The trunnion 22 is mounted in suitable bearings in a supporting bracket 23, attached to the frame of the machine 10. Keyed to the trunnion shaft 22 is one end of connecting rod 24, the other end of which has secured thereto a split collar 25 by means of a set screw 26. The cam 20 is of irregular configuration, there being provided a notch 27 for apurpose which will subsequently be set forth.

For communicating the movement of the connecting rod 24 to the cutting shears, there is provided a. flat member 30 having one end set in the split collar 25 and pinned thereto. The member 30 has a slot extending a portion of its length whereby it is adjustably attached to a second flat connecting member 31 by means of a suitable number of bolts such as the bolts 32, 32. The member 31 is twisted transversely through an angle of 90, and its free end is pivotally secured to one end of a cutting element 33, the other endof which is ground along one edge 34 to form a cutting or shearing edge. The cutting member 33 is mounted on a pivot screw 35. A spring 36 interconnects the pivotal connection between the ends of the members 31 and 33 and a stationary pin 37 secured to a suitable portion of the frame for normally maintaining the movable elements in the position shown in the drawings. y

Formi ng part of the cutting shears is a stationary cutting element 40 having,an' edge 41 thereof, ground tc tcrm acuttin edge. The cutting edges 34 and 41 form collectively scissors or shears. The element 401s affixed to a suitable portion of the frame of the'knitting machine.

F or guiding the fabric into posili on to' lie and the cutting edge 11 is determined with greatlaccnracy. The output end of the guide 50 tern'nnates immediately. ad acent theplane of movement of the moveable cutting element 33.

In operation thecutting element 33 and associated movable elementsare held'in the normal position illustrated, the pawl 21 being held in close, contact with the cam 20, by the tensionof the spring 36. then as a result of the operation of the knitting machine the notch 27 reaches the free end of the pawl 21, the tension of the spring 36causes the pawl 21'to drop into it and the connecting rod 24 is oscillated, carrying with it the members 30, 31. movable cutting element 33 is thus moved in a clockwise direction, and in coopera tion with the stationary cutting element 10 ciits off the fabric 12. The portion of the fabric thus cut oif is droppedby forceof gravity or otherwise conveyed to a desired point, as for example, to an inspection table. The depth of notch 27 opposite the end of the pawl21 is gradually reduced as the cam rotatesand the pawl 21 and associated parts, including the movable cutting element 33, are restored to normal.

Continued operation of the knitting machine 10 causes additional fabric to be fed to the cutting attachment until the notch 27 again reaches the pawl 21 and the operation repeated.

In order to provide for different sizes of fabrics, the members 30 and 31 may be variably adjusted by means of the slotted con nection, and the normal position of the movable cutting element '33 mayv be made ne'a'i'erfto or farther from the fabric 12, as

desired.

In the modified form of the invention sho'ivn Figure 4E, there is provided a cam 120 having a hump 127 instead "of the notch p Parts corresponding 'to parts shown in Figures 1, 2 was and already described, are designated by similar reference charac ter', and need not be described in detail. Co-

opera'ting vvith the cam 120 is a lever 121 having on its fre'e'entl a rolle'r'128. which is in intimate cont-act withthe peripheral face of'the eam120. The lever 121 is connected by'a connecting rod 24 and members 30 and 31, as before, to the movable cutting ele- The For maintaining the roller 128 in inti mate contact with the cam 120 there is pro vided a tension spring 136, interconnect ing a movable portion of the connecting rod 2& and a stationary pin 137 affixed to the frame of the machine 10.

In the operation of the form of the invention shown in Figure the lever 121 is held in the position shown by the spring 136. The cutting elements are thus in open position. \Vhen, as a rcsult of the" operation of the knitting machine 10 the hump 127 reaches the free end'of the lever 121. which carries the roller 128, the lever 121 is moved outwardly from the center of the cam .120, The connecting rod 24 is oscillated, carrying with it the members 30, 31. The movable cutting element 33 is thus moved so as to approach the stationary element 40, and in cooperation therewith cuts off the fabric 12. The height of the hump 127 opposite the roller 128 is gradually reduced, and the lever 121 and'associated parts, including the movable cutting element 33, are restored to normal by thespring 136.

Continued operation of the knitting machine 10 causes additionalfabric to'be fed to the cutting device until the hump 127 again actuates the lever 121 and causes the operation of the movable cutting element. The operation is thus repeated.

Thus it will be seen thatTI have provided a cutting attachment particularly well adapted for use with circular ribbing machine, and for cutting ofi" tublar' fabrics. such as are knit by such machines for use in stockings and the like. The operation of cutting is entirely automatic. and predetermined lengths 'of fabric maybe cut with great accuracy. v

lVhile I have shown and described and have pointed out in the annexed claims certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes'in the formand detils of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made those skilled in the art without departing fromth'e spirit of my invention. I

Having thus described my invention, 1' claim:

1. In a cuttingattachment for ak'nitting machine, acam secured to the pattern wheel drive shaft of the knittingrnachine, :1' W1 coactingwith said earn. a stationary'cut ing member and a movable cutting member operativelv connected with said pawl. said cutting members being arranged to form cuttingshears, the operative connection .between the pawl. and themovable cutting member including an' adjustable link for varying the movement of said cutting member relative to the pawl. I

2. A cutting device arranged to cut a tubular fabric upon emergence thereof from a knitting machine, comprising a cam operated in SyJlClHOIIlSIH with the pattern wheel of the machine, a pawl coacting with said cam, a plurality of cutting members to form cuttin shears and positioned adjacent the path of movement of the fabric, at least one of said cutting members being operatively connected to said pawl so as to be actuated by movement of said pawl, the operative connection between the pawl and the movable cutting member including an ad justable link for varying the movement of said cutting member relative to the pawl.

3. The combination with a knitting machine and adrive shaft therefor, of a cutting attachment comprising a guide for guiding the knitted fabric after it has emerged from the machine, means for cutting the fabric positioned immediately adjacent the output end of said guide and operatively connected with said shaft, and means for variably positioning said cutting means with respect to the fabric.

4. The combination with a knitting machine and a drive shaft therefor, of a cutting attachment comprising a cam driven by said shaft, cutting elements for shearing off the fabric made by said machine, and means interconnecting said cam and at least one of said elements whereby said element is operatively controlled by said cam, said interconnecting means including an adjustable link for varying the movement of the respective cutting elements relative to the cam.

5. The combination with a knitting machine and a drive shaft therefor, of a cutting attachment comprising a cam driven by said shaft, cutting elements for shearing OK the fabric made by said machine, means interconnecting said cam and at least one of said elements whereby said element is displaced during a predetermined portion of the revolution of said cam and yielding means for retracting said. element during other portions of the revolution, said interconnecting means including an adjustable link for varying the movement of the respective cutting elements relative to the cam.

6. In a cutting attachment for a knitting machine, a cam secured to the pattern wheel drive shaft of the knitting machine, a pawl coacting with. said cam, a stationary cutting member, a movable cutting member operatively connected with said pawl, said cutting members being arranged to form cutting shears, and yielding means for retracting said pawl and movable member, the operative connection between the pawl and the movable cutting member including an adjustable link for varying the movement of said member relative to the pawl.

7. The combination of a cutting device arranged to cut a tubular fabric upon emergence thereof from a knitting machine, comprising a cam operated in synchronism with the pattern wheel of the machine, a pawl coacting with said cam, and a plurality of cutting members to form cutting shears positioned adjacent the path of movement of the fabric, at least one of said cut-- ting members being operatively connected to said pawl so as to be actuated by movement of said pawl, with a guide for guiding the fabric to the cutting members, the output end of the guide being immediately adjacent the plane of movement of said movable cutting member, the operative connection between the pawl and the movable cutting member including an adjustable link for varying the movement of said member relative to the pawl.

Signed at East Chattanooga in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee this 18th day of December A. D. 1922.

ROY L. CAMPBELL. 

